It’s
hard to believe that we are already in the sixth week of the half term.
It’s wonderful to see how settled the children are already in their new
classes. All of the staff are so
pleased with the level commitment
the children are showing, their wonderful behaviour
and also the standard of work they are producing.
School Trips
Many children have already been fortunate enough to have been on
school trips and there are many exciting ones coming up. We see these
trips as crucial experiences for our pupils and therefor ask that all
parents try to make a contribution as requested. Unfortunately, without
your financial contribution the majority of trips would not go ahead.
With the current credit crunch we understand this is not always easy,
so thank you all for your support. We will always try to give you
as much notice of trips as possible, this will enable you to pay in
installments, which can make paying easier.
Piano Lessons
There are currently a small number of places available for pupils to
have piano lessons in school. If your child is interested, please ask
at the Office for full details of cost and timing. There are also Music
Bursary Awards available for children from low-income families –
please see Mr Johnson for details of how to apply.
Book Stamps
Book stamps are continuing to be collected each Tuesday outside the
Reception Entrance from 8.30am. This is a great way to save money in
order to buy some excellent books for the family, in time for Christmas.
Safety in PE Lessons
For safety reasons we are reminding all parents to avoid bringing their
children to school wearing earring on the days that they have PE
lessons. Unfortunately our staff will not be able to remove earrings on
your behalf and only in special circumstances will they be able to
cover earrings using medical tape.
Early Mornings
Thank you to all parents who bring their children to school in the
morning for remaining outside of the school building and for waiting to
speak to teachers outside classrooms. We have noticed a real difference
around 8.45am, our school is now a more secure place. Please remember
to direct your child to the playground where they will be collected by
a member of staff when the whistle blows.
Cycles in School
It is fantastic to see a growing number of pupils cycling to school
each day, the healthy message is really getting through. Please
remember to leave all bikes in a safe and secure place. If the Middle
School cycle shelter is full, please make sure your child’s bike
is not blocking doors or pathways where they may be a safety hazard. We
are hoping to invest in a new cycle shelter of our own soon –
watch this space!
Reading at Home & School
You are all aware of the importance of supporting your child’s
learning by reading regularly at home. With the hectic lifestyle we all
seem to live, this is not always easy as a parent, so we really do
appreciate your support. A great emphasis is placed on reading within
school and every child will experience independent, shared or guided
reading on a daily basis. Unfortunately not all reading is recorded
into your child’s homework record by their teacher. I am sure you
will appreciate that to do this for every child, every day would be
extremely time consuming.
Community Book Pledge
Susan Moir, our Osbourne Book Rep has been busy collecting donations
from many local shops and businesses, in order to buy new books for our
school. So far over £800 has been donated which is amazing. If
you know of any local businesses that could also help with a donation
of any amount, please let us know.
Friends Meeting- Your Support Needed!
The Friends of Abbey Park First & Nursery School are meeting for
the first time this year on Monday 13th October in school, new and old
members are warmly welcome. If you have a special skill you believe
could benefit the Friends please do come along, every contribution will
be appreciated and of course will make a difference to all of the
children.
Vouchers For Schools
As always we are taking advantage of the voucher deals around at the
moment. We are currently collecting Flora tokens, which will bring in
free equipment for cooking lessons in school. In addition, we are also
collecting Morrisons vouchers, which will enable the school to claim
free equipment for growing it’s own fruit and vegetables. Please
don’t throw any away – bring them in!
Assemblies for the Family
You are all invited to join us for two forthcoming assemblies. Our
Harvest Assembly will take place at 9am on Friday 17th October, which
will be jam packed with singing and dancing from all of our children.
We also have our first Welcome Assembly of the year on Friday 24th
October at 9am, please come and join us.
I look forward to seeing you all at our Parent/ Teacher Consultation
evening on 23rd October, but as always, please don’t hesitate to
contact me should you wish to discuss anything regarding your child or
the school. David Johnson